MIKEY: We went to the club/bar that Ray had his after-prom party at. It wasn't too far away and I helped show Shane how to get there. He picked us up and I dragged Gerard by the arm into the car He was driving and me Gerard and Ray were shouting directions from the back. With a loud clunk, Shane finally parked on the cerb and we all piled up, ready to take on the night. Shane got us our first round of drinks but I'm sure that the minimum age to buy drinks is 21... I didn't care, and I knew he didn't but I'd be mortified if he ever got caught.

It was no problem getting in and boy was the place full. It was just the right lighting too, just so that you can disappear and just enough to watch out for any stray bottles flying around the place. The four of us darted over to a space with our drinks, not talking too much at first.
"Gerard! Let's go dance." Frank pleaded, yanking on Gerard's sleeve impatiently. Gerard smiled and shook his head,
"Nah, lets just stay here for now." He winked teasingly, pulling Frank closer with his free hand to his obvious delight. We took to some free sofas in a corner one the conversation started flowing.

I sat on a big modern, sorta quilted couch. Shane and Ray sat on another couch opposite. Ray wore a curious but creeped out expression and it was obvious why. Shane the fucking flirt and Frank and Gerard the sex-driven couple. I was crushed to the end of the two-seater sofa in torture as Gerard and Frank kissed between discussions and sips of lager. I drained my bottle in a hurry, my lips already dry from nerves. I winced each time I heard them smooch. Jealousy had a part in that. I gave up any fight for space as soon as Gerard and Frank joined me, thier rare public displays of affection being unstoppable. It beat Frank going of with Shane I suppose.

Gerard's relaxed voice boomed through my ears.
"Yeah. I mean, like... I don't get it." Frank watched him eagerly as he sat on one of Gee's legs, arm around his shoulder and nodded, totally enthused.
"So Mikey, what do you think?" Someone asked outta the blue.
"Oh, um... I agree." It was obvious I hadn't a clue about what was going on. Frank laughed in a high sorta cackle and leaned over to nudge me. I wondered what he thought of that weird night when he came into my room...

"So, Gerard." he leaned on my brother, pining for attention as usual. He'd asked Gerard to dance 4 times already. Denied each time of course.
"Ugh, I suppose we should." Gerard hauled himself up, knowing what Frank was wanting.
I glanced at Shane, feeling insecure of myself being alone on the suddenly huge sofa. I wasn't sure if I wanted him to see me staring. He beckoned me to sit between him and Ray so I got up, leaving the empty bottle behind. I sat down on the plush sofa to recieve an arm-hug around my neck.

"Sorry I was grouchy last night." Shane appologised falsely. I sighed in relief. Nothing else to be said about last night then. That was surely a good thing. His arm was just nudging my back, making my both excited and uncomfortable.
"C'mon. I'm gonna dance too." Shane diverted the subject and I lagged behind, shifting my way through crowds, prising apart people to find a way through.
Ray and I didn't really want to dance with Frank, Gerard or crazy Shane, so I decided to stike up a conversation with him. It's good to have Ray, someone who understnads so much about me.
It was hard enough hearing Ray with the music but adding Frank's giggles made speaking near impossible. I managed to lip read, but there was no point to it.
I shrugged and tried to fit in with everyone else. Something I'm slowly, but surely, starting to master.
I saw Gerard branch off from Frank and hurried over to talk, feeling more confident being around him. I usually do that: tag along with G if I feel awkward.

Frank and Shane were in a secluded corner, laughing like fucking hyenas in between getting themselves more and more to drink. Shane was only buying drinks for Frank though, apart from having the ocassional sip or two.

Gee took a swig of beer, a long one and watched me out the corner of his eye warily.
"So." he breathed. Gerard was quite unbalanced, close to toppling over a few times. He was at the smiling and whittling away stage of drunkenness.
"So." I mimiced, not helping a smile curl my lips.
"I think... You look nice tonight. Kid, really." He blurted out, stumbling while pointing at me.
"That's nice Gee. Be more careful." I said, with a hint of sympathy.
"No, really! Rrrreally, I think so!" he purred, licking his lips in that way taht made me feel so wrong, coupled with that searing glare of his.
"That's great. Comes right from that beer-drowned heart." I know roughly how to handle drunken Gerard by now. I was on standby to help him up at any moment.
Ray and I stood back to watch Gerard as he began to follow strangers and attempt to dance with them. Ray was gulping down drinks, often taking half-full bottles that were lying around.

Everyone but me was shit-faced already, it seemed. I had to babysit Ray and Gerard to stop them doing anything illegal or dangerous. My mind then turned to the other two.
Beauty and the Beast... Wait, they're both the beast, and the beauty.....
Frank was backed onto a steel pillar, held in conversation. His head was pressed back onto the pillar as if in shock as Shane went on.

Shane tugged on Frank's wrist playfully. I knew, with a hazy dread, what would happen next. I stood and gazed on, unable to move or shout at them. Why does Frank go for others on top of Gerard, seriously!? He always lets himslef be available for action, but other times he just goes straight for others. Only Shane and me but still...! It's like he's always switching roles. Predator to prey. Seducting and happily recieving.

Shane launched himself in, grabbing Frank firmly and had the guts to go kiss him. I saw Frank's knees buckle on the spot, flailing his arms at first then settling in just as Shane let go with an evil grin. Frank looked tiny in comparison, all of a sudden.
How could I have got involved? How could I stop it, or later alert Gerard to it and break his heart on a drunken mistake? the fact that Frank seemed in shock at first was the only hope or comfort I got.

So I gazed on. They didn't really kiss for long and returned to me shortly after, albeit only Shane sober enough to be of any use to anyone. Frank's eyes were all over the place. I didn't mention a thing and pretended to be oblivious.
At the end of the night, Shane, who was almost 100% sober might I add, and I herded the other 3 into Shane's small car. The dim streetlights lit up the street with an orange glow, illuminating everything in an almost intimidating way, making even innocent things look dark, revealing things hidden away in dusty corners amid the odd garbage bag.